Ammunition lubrication



J. T. THOMPSON.

AMMuNlTloN LuBRlcATroN.

APPLICATION FILED MAY t0. 1920.

Patented Mal'. 8, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHED l.

}. T. HOMPSON.

AMMUNITION LUBRICATION.

APPLICATION man MAY1o,1.a2o.

Patented Mar. 8, 1923.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED A'rENr JOHN TLIAIFERRO THOMPSON, OF NEWPORT, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO .AUTO-ORDNANCE CORPORATION, OF- NEW YORK, N. Y.,

A CORPORATION 0l." NEW YORK.

AMMUNITION LUBRICATION.

Speciication of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 8, 1921.

Application led May 10, 1920. Serial No. 380,050.

ATo all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN 'FALIAFERRO THOMPSON, citizen ofthe United States of America, and resident of Newport, in the county of Campbell and ,State of Kentucky,

have invented new and useful Improvements in Ammunition Lubrication, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to anew and improved method and means adapted foruse` in lubricating ammunitions in connection with guns.

In the use of high powered arms with the types of ixed ammunition now in general use very high powder pressures are developed. The metallic cartridge case is thus verysuddenly and powerfully pressed into Contact with the walls of the powder chamber. l The cartridge cases are formed of relatively soft metal such as cepper'alloys and l are deformed by this pressure and caused to ldimensions due to wear or erosion. These latter factors are fruitful sources of minute irregularities in the chamber surface.. h

Due to these several causes the Vextraction of the cartridge casing after firing the charge is rendered diiicult. rlhis is particularly. true in types `of automatic or semiautomatic arms where the casing is extracted or started on its rearward movement before the pressure of the discharge is entirely relieved. In this case the pressure tends during the movement to hold the cartridge walls intimately engaged with the chamber wa s. 'v

This tendency of the cartridge shell to stick in the chamber, if it has no other ill effects, serves to render more dicult the operation of manually operated arms and in the case of automatic or semi-automatic arms, it slows up the motionand puts an excessive strain on the parts coperating to extract the cartridge.

In more extreme cases, however, e'ther where the chamber is badly eroded or orn or where\the cartridge is badly out of normal contour or is weakened'at some points,

. in the chamber is quite diicul't and the piece is out of action for a time. In hand operated arms the user may not notice that the shell was ruptured and may attemptto force in a new cartridge for the next shot, which will further complicate matters, and there will also be the possibility of a dangerous discharge of the second cartridge while not fully seated in the chamber. In the automatic or semiautomatic guns these results also follow, causing a jam diiicult to remove and injurious to the plece.

Further in the use of arms having a ro tatin breech closure there is a tendency for the c osure in rotating, to turn with it the cartridge against whose base it is pressed and thus to screw the cartridge shell into any irregularities existing in the chamber or on the breech closure face.

I have determined that these several difiiculties may be substantially eliminated by the proper lubrication of the cartridge be" fore its entry into the chamber. Certain means and methods for accomplishing` this result have been disclosed in my Patent No. 1,307,066 dated J une 17, 1919.

In the present application I have disclosed an improved plate oil pad4 for lubricating ammunition, the means comprising a separate removable element which may be readily used in connection with existing guns and magazines.

It is an object of my invention to provide y new and improved means adapted to betitted into a gun or magazine and to lubricate the ammunition as it is fed from the maga- 4 zine to the chamber of the piece. It is an It is also an object to provide a lubricating element adapted to lubricate all necessary surfaces of the cartridge. It is a further ob- I100 4breech portion of a Other and Yfurther objects will appear as the' description proceeds.

I have illustrated certain preferred embodiments of my invention in the accompanying drawings in which,-

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section `of the gun showing my invention in place;

2 is a cross section on line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through my device with cartridges shown therein;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section showing my invention in position in a detachable box magazine;

Fig. 5 is a cross section on line 5-5 of the device shown in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section of Fig. 4.

In Fig. 1 I have shown my improved removable plate oil pad in position in the magazine of the Springfield rifle of the style now in use by the army and officially known as United States rifle, caliber 30, model of 1903. The rifle itself forms no part of the present invention and comprises the barrel 7, receiver 8, bolt 9, guard 10, floor plate 11, magazlne spring 12 and follower 13.

My improved lubricating device comprises the metal or other base plate 14 which )is shaped to conform to the interior contour of the magazine and the lubricating pad l5 which, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, is attached to the face of the plate 14 by the rivets 16. This pad closely engages the cartridgesin the magazine as is 4shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and contacts with each cartridge.

In Figs. 4, 5 and 6, I have shown my Vinvention applied to a box magazine of the type comprising the body member 1 7?. the rear attachment member 18, the follower 19, the follower spring 20, and bottom closure 2l. The'magazine is shown containing the cartridges 22. The lubricating plate device is fitted just inside the body of the magazine and comprises the plate 23 and the lubricating member 24 attached to the pla-te by the stitching 25 which passes through suitable holes in the plate.

In both forms of my device the plate may be formed of metal, indurated liber or any suitable material which possesses suflicient strength and stiifness. The lubricating pad yproper may be formed of any absorbent material such as felt or flannel or may be formed of an absorbent mass covered by fabric through which the lubricant passes.

My lubricating device may be applied to existing magazines of any type, two such applications having been illustrated by way of example. No modification of existing structure is required except that if the follower fits the magazine tooY closely to permit the lubricating platte to pass between the magazine walls and the follower, the latter may be reduced in size or a smaller follower substituted. The usual magazine is made of a size to permit sufficient play of the cartridges so that the lubricating device, which is relatively thin, may be inserted without so reducing the interior space as to preclude the admission of the usual number of cartridges.

The lubricating device is inserted in fixed magazines of the type shown in Fig. 1 by removing the floor plate 11 and inserting the lubricator upwardly. The device is Similarly inserted in magazines of the type shown in Figs. 4to 6 by removing the bottom closure 21. y

When the device becomes worn it may readily be removed in this manner and a new one substituted. If the lubricant becomes exhausted before the pad is worn, the device may be removed and again treated with the lubricating material and replaced in the magazine.

It will be noted that my lubricator in the form shown in Figs. l to 3 acts to lubricatey the bases of the cartridges. This is essential in firearms such as the Springfield where I the bolt is lockedby a rotary motion while thrusting against Athe cartridge. In the form shown in Figs. 4 to 6 the base of the cartridges are not lubricated. These cartridges and magazines as usually used in guns having inertia' breech closures or closures of the Blish angle type which do not rotate and hence base lubrication is not essential.Y

In both forms shown the sides of the bullet as well as the cartridge case are lubricated and in the form of Figs. 4 to 6, as shown in Fig. 6, the forward portion of the lubricating pad is curved inward to conta-ct with all portions of the bullets.

My improved plate lubricating pads may obviously be formed in any desired or necessary shape to lu-bricate particular types of ammunition or to fit magazines of 'varylng contours and capacities.

I claim 1. A device for lubricating cartridges in gun magazines comprising a cartridge lubrlca-tor adapted to be detachably tted into a magazine with portions extending along opposite sides of. the cartridge space 1n position to contact with the cartridges therein.. g

2. A device for lubricating cartridges m gun magazines having a lubricating element adapted to contact with the bases of cartridges placed in the magazine.

3. A removable device for lubricating cartridges in gun magazines having a lubricating element adapted to contact with the sides and bases of cartridges placed in the magazine.

4. A removable device for lubricating Cartridges in gun magazines comprising a base plate and a lubricating pad secured thereto, fthe device being adapted to be'detachably fittedl in the magazine of a gun.

' A removable device for lubricating cartridges in gun magazines adapted to be fitted about the sides and at least one end of the magazine. Y

6. A removable device for lubricating cartridges in. gun magazines comprising a base plate and a lubricating pad attached thereto, the device being adapted to be fitted in the magazine of a gun and fitting about the sides and at least one end of the magaz1ne.

7. A removable device for lubricating cartridges in gunv magazines, U-shaped in form and adapted torbe fitted in a maga-zine along opposite sides thereof.

8. A removable device for lubricating cantridges adapted to be i'tted in a gun magazine, the device comprising a base plate and a lubricating element substantially coextensive therewith.

9. In combination with a cartridge magazine having a cartridge passageway therein, a hollow cartridge lubricator adapted to telescope into said passageway from one end thereof with portions lying along opposite sides of the passageway.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this twenty-ninth day of April, 1920.

JOHN TALIAFERRO THOMPSON. 

